'KEENE, N.H. 11/7/02 - The Keene State College women's soccer team advanced to the Championship game of the Little East Conference Tournament with a 3-1 victory over Rhode Island College in Keene on Thursday. 

The top seed in the tournament, KSC (18-2-1) will host third seed Western CT in the championship game at 1 p.m. WCSU upset second seed Eastern CT in a semifinal game that ended at 0-0 but was decided 4-1 on penalty kicks.

 It's the third straight year Keene State and Western CT have met in the finals with the Colonials prevailing in all three occasions.

Keene State fell behind 1-0 in its semifinal game against the Anchorwomen when Allison Vales (Bristol, R.I.) took advantage of an Owl defensive miscue and fired the ball into the top corner of the net.

Carolyn Crawford (Abington, MA.) tied the game late in the half, when she curled a shot into the far corner of the net. "I went to cross it in and it just went in by accident," Crawford said.

Jennifer Ortisi (Allenstown, N.H.) gave KSC the lead in the second half when she directed a ball, sent into the box by Erin Lester (Walpole, N.H.), past RIC goalie Melissa Carpentier. (Woonsocket, R.I.). It was Ortisi's eighth goal of the season.

The Owls scored a key insurance goal four minutes later thanks to a fine individual effort by Lester. The junior forward carried the ball into the box. After she was taken down, Suzanne Heinkel (Westfield, N.J.) picked up the loose ball and put it into the net. "I just used my size and strength and got around the defenders and Suzzy was there to finish, "said Lester, who had two key assists in the game.

"It showed our character that we can come from behind stay focused and win the game," said KSC Coach Denise Lyons.  It's a great win for us and now we look forward to playing Western CT on Saturday.

Goalie Michelle Mason (Fairport, N.Y.) made two saves for KSC, winners of nine straight. Carpentier stopped 11 shots for the fifth ranked Anchorwomen, who complete their season with a 7-10-2 record.